As the understanding is the highest faculty of the reasonable creature, because upon it depends the regularity of the motions or actings of the will and affections; fo knowledge is the properest and noblest act or habit of that faculty, and without which it is without its proper end and employment, and the whole man without a due guidance and direction : 'My people perish for want of knowledge 1.'

And as knowledge is the proper business of that great faculty, so the value of that knowledge, or employment of the understanding, is diverfified according to the fubject about which it is exercifed: for though all knowledge of the moft differing fubjects agree in this one common excellence, viz. the right representation of the thing, as it is, unto the underftanding; or the conformity of the image created in the understanding, unto the thing objectly united to it, which is truth in the understanding: yet it must needs be, that according to the various values and degrees of the things to be known, there arifeth a diver fity of the value or worth of that knowledge; that

which is of a thing more noble, ufeful, precious, must needs be a more noble, useful, precious, knowledge, and accordingly more to be defired.

There have been doubtlefs many excellent understandings that have been converfant about an exac difquifition of fome particular truth, which though as truths they agree in a common value with all others, yet in respect of their nature, use, and value, are of no great moment, whether known or not; as concerning the precife time of this or that paffage in fuch a prophane history; the criticism of this or that Latin word, or the like, which, though by accident, and by way of concomitance, they may be of confiderable use, when mixed with, or relating to fome other matter of moment; yet in themfelves have little value, becaufe little use. Others have fpent their thoughts in acquiring of knowledge in fome special piece of nature, the fabrick of the eye; the progreffion of generation in an egg; the relation and proportion of numbers, weights, lines, the generation of metals: and thefe, as they have a relative confideration to discover and fet forth the wifdom of the great Creator, or to public ufe, have great worth in them; but in themselves, though they have the excellence of truth in them, and confequently in their kind feed and give light to the understanding, which is a power that is naturally ordained unto, and greedy of, and delighted in truth, though of a low and inferior conftitution; yet they are not of that eminence and worth, as truths of fome other, either higher, or more useful, or durable na

ture.

As once our Saviour, in relation of things to be done, pronounced one thing only neceffary1; fo the Apoftle, among the many things that are to be known, fixeth in the fame one thing neceffary to be known, Chrift Jefus, and him crucified.

There are three steps;

I. Not to know any thing. Not as if all other

Luk. x. 42.

knowledge

knowledge were condemned; Mofes's learning was not charged upon him as a fin; Paul's fecular learning was not condemned, but useful to him; to be knowing in our calling, in the qualities and difpofitions of perfons, in the laws under which we live, in the modeft and fober inquiries of nature and arts, are not only not condemned, but commended and useful, and fuch as tend to the fetting forth the glory of the God of wisdom. Even the difcretion of the husbandmen God owns as his: For his God doth instruct 'him to difcretion, and doth teach him 1.' But we must determine to know nothing in comparison of that other knowledge of Chrift Jefus, as the Apostle counted what things were gain, yet to be lofs for Chrift 2, so we are to esteem that knowledge of other things, otherwise excellent, useful, admirable, yet to be but folly, and vile in comparison of the knowledge of Christ. And this requires:

1. A true and right eftimate of the value of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus above other knowledge; and confequently an infinite preferring thereof before all other knowledge in our judgments, defire, and delight: And the preponderation of the knowledge of Christ above other knowledges excels moft knowledge in all the enfuing particulars, but excels all knowledge in fome, and thofe of moft concern

ment.

1. In the certainty of it. Moft other knowledges 3 are either fuch as we take in by our fenfe and experience; and therein, though it is true that the grofs part of our knowledge, that is nearest to our fenfe, hath fomewhat of certainty in it, yet when we come to fublimate and collect, and infer that knowledge into univerfal or general conclufions, or to make deductions, ratiocinations, and determinations from them, then we fail, and hence grew the difference between many philofophers. Again, the knowledge that we elicit 4 from fenfe, is but very narrow, if it stand there; 1 Isa. xxviii. 26. 2 Phil. iv. 7. 3 kinds of knowledge. * draw out. D 4 for

for the forms of things, the matter or fubftance, which is the fubject of nature, are not eafily perceptible by fenfe; we fee the colour and the figure, and the variations of that, but we do from thence only make conjectures concerning the forms, fubftances, and matter: Or they are fuch as we receive by tradition, whether hiftorical or doctrinal; and the former depends upon the credit of the relator, which moft an end depends upon another's credit, and fo vanifhes into much uncertainty, unlefs the authors be very authentick and eye-witneffes: And as to matters doctrinal, ftill that depends upon the opinion of a man, it may be, deduced upon weak convictions, croffed by perfons of as great judgment, and fo breeds uncertainty, diftraction, and diffatisfaction in the knowledge. But in the knowledge of Chrift, we have greater certainty than can be found in any of all thefe other knowledges. 1. A constant tradition. and reception by millions, before he came, that the Meffias was to come; and fince he came, that in truth he is come. 2. The Apostles, Evangelifts, and Difciples, that were purposely chofen to be witneffes of Chrift's miracles, doctrine, fuffering, and refurrection. 3. The miracles he did, that are witneffed to us, by a greater confent of teftimony than any one part of any hiftory of that antiquity. 4. The purity, fanctity, and juftness of his doctrine, which was never attained unto in the teaching of the philofophers, nor ever any could, in the least measure, impeach or blame. 5. The prophecies ftiled moft juftly by the Apostle a more certain evidence than the very vifion of his transfiguration, and a voice from Heaven 2: And fo in truth is a more undeniable argument than any is; for it is not capable of any fraud or impofture. 6. The wonderful prevailing that the knowledge of Chrift had upon the world, and this not only de facto, but backed with a prophecy that it fhould be fo. 7. The admirable concordance and fymmetry, that this mystery of Chrift J generally.

2 2 Pet. i. 19.

makes

1

makes in the whole method of the proceeding of God in the world, as will be eafily obfervable upon the collation of thefe things together: The creation; the fall; the law; the ftate of the Jews; the immortality of the foul; the neceffity of a fatisfaction for fin if pardoned; the types and facrifices; the prophecies; the rejection of the Jews; the calling of the Gentiles; the progrefs of the gospel to the new discovered parts of the world fucceffively as difcovered; that a due collection being made of all these and other confiderations, it will appear that the doctrine of Chrift Jefus, and him crucified, is that which makes the difpenfation of God towards the children of men to be all of a piece, and one thing in order to another; Chrift the mediator, in whom God hath gathered together all things in one 2, made it as one fyftem, body, fabrick. S. Befides the undeniable prophecies, there bears witnefs to this truth, the fecret powerful witnefs of the fpirit of God convincing the foul of the truth of Christ, beyond all the moral perfuafions in the world, beyond the conviction of demonftration, to believe, to reft upon, to affert it, even unto the lofs of life and all things.

2. As in the certainty, fo in the plainnefs and eafinefs of the truth. The moft excellent fubjects of other knowledge have long windings, before a man can come at them, and are of that difficulty and abstrusenefs, that as every brain is not fit to undertake the acquiring of it, fo much pains, labour, industry, advertency, affiduity is required in the best of judgments, to attain but a competent measure of it: witnefs the ftudies of arithmetick, geometry, natural philofophy, metaphyficks, &c. wherein great labour hath been taken to our hands, to make the paffage more eafy, and yet ftill are full of difficulty. But in this knowledge it is otherwife; as it is a knowledge fitted for an univerfal ufe, the bringing of mankind to God, fo it is fitted with an univerfal fitnefs and convenience for that ufe, 2 A comparing these. Ephes. i. 10.

eafy,